Is it worth playing this game?

[Josellis]

I really like the game, especially the fact that it is TOTALLY free. I like the graphics although my computer lags a bit (a go slow, then go fast, go s.l.o.w then go fast, I go s-l-o-w, I go fast ...) so it gets a bit annoying, but that's because of my 7-year old computer. The previous game I was player, the DEVs/GMs and the Players were on TOTALLY different worlds, but here, the DEVs/GMs are really on the same world as the players and are active forum members (expecially Karyuu with her 5396 at the moment I am writing this post ... but there is also DaveG and others)

I like also the fact that it evolves just about on a day-to-day bases. What I mean by that is not the fact that you have an update everyday, what I mean is that everyday, some new ideas come up and are developped. Also, the PlaneShift staff have a set of goals, which keeps them focused on where PlaneShift is going (unlike the game I was playing which is atm going through a "phase" where the whole gameplay is changing ...).

The one thing I don't like with PlaneShift is that they insist a lot on the fact that PlaneShift should be RolePlayed, but this is a problem more with me then anything else. For me, PlaneShift is a game where I play on it, it isn't my second life.

I don't mind the fact that the game crashes although it gets annyoing when it crashes constantly, but this happens rarely (only when I stay in certain places for a long time). I also sometime find a little bit annoying how the NPCs can't understand you ...

And I wish sometimes that it was a bit more developed, but hey! it is in pre-alpha stage and alpha is before beta, so it is in a pre-pre-beta and beta is before the final release, so it is a pre-pre-pre-version ... hope you followed what I said

[.:ZEN:.]

I have not played it but I can still say YES it is worth playing and I mean its better than the other (bad) games like battle-on and dofus! and you have to keep in mind that the is a $0 profit organization and all of the staff are working for free...  and the graphics are still really good ( better than runescape )  So i think you wil have a great time playing it!

[Astraea]

(I'm going to play partial devil's advocate here. But personally I love PlaneShift, and have no complaints about it except that I live in the wrong timezone to interact with more people.)

There are some things that could immediately be a turnoff.

1. The game isn't even at version 1.xxx yet. It's in alpha, pre-alpha? It means that players are testers, and there will be bugs to deal with constantly. One could find the error message that pops up after quitting the game overly annoying.

2. The dedication to RP. Some people don't know what RP is, and get bashed right away for asking for help. Roleplaying can be a hard task if you're not a writer, or self confident enough to create full character with a family history and personality.

3. Unfinished models. You can't fully customize your character, because many races either don't have models, or else only have one gender's.

4. Constant updates that interrupt gameplay. Example: right now. Someone in another thread stated that PS was losing new players because of this update and failure to inform everyone on the downloads page.

5. Too many guilds with the same purpose.

(Meh. I'm really pushing what I don't like about PS. Most of the stuff I listed is easily avoidable/curable. Of course it's worth the download and wait to play.)

[Karyuu]

Constant updates? I wish! We only have a release every two months.

That someone in another thread said something akin to "I bet you lost a good 100 new players because of this", to which everyone's reply was "The good players we haven't lost."

[RageMcCloud]

yes pre-alpha is kind of annoying but the thing is... once it comes to the real version you will have a great char{unless they do another player whipe which i dont think really happened because i forgot about the game before the whipe then started back after it and was still the same[aside from my awesome broad swords being deleted because they were too powerful lol!]}

[Karyuu]

There will be many wipes before we hit 1.0, which I guess you can consider as "real" as real gets.

[Delsabor Nash]

I still disagree that we are in PRE - alpha. I feel that is pushing it alittle. I can understand if someone says alpha, or even late alpha. Hell, i even remember Karyuu saying after thsi update we might as well almost be in very early beta. Correct me if i am wrong

[Karyuu]

I think it's too early for beta right now - that may come with Steel Blue - but "pre-alpha" doesn't feel right anymore after everything that's been done. Just "alpha" should suffice for now.

[RageMcCloud]

yea i figured there would be many more whipes... well i was going to edit what i said but i hate editing after someone else posted under it because many dont read it... but anywho, after i had posted i realized i was on page two. So, i read page one and found something funny...

4)  bugs are probably the primary reason we "testers" are here.  i have seen a quick response at solving them.  and bug hunting seems to be a popular passtime

that is funny, especially since that is the basic purpose of the Explorers Guild! and also on the other numbers listed i agree with them...

also, the fact of trying to make it an RP only game... if you think or it, any video game is RPing... because Role Play... means you play a role of someone other than yourself... well... unless a game is you in your life exactly as it is then it is an RP... anywho, i know what you all mean by RP... it means stuff like in character conversations in the time of which it is set... Medieval... so you dont walk up to someone and say "hey im new to this game, where do i go... is there a newb place or something im lost..." instead "Hello, im new to this city.  Could you help me in finding a place to rest and are there any markets around here?" or something like that... and i think it is fun to do that...

2. The dedication to RP. Some people don't know what RP is, and get bashed right away for asking for help. Roleplaying can be a hard task if you're not a writer, or self confident enough to create full character with a family history and personality.

let me just say... it doesnt take writing skills or self confidence... it takes creativeness<or however you would say that> and possibly resourcefulness<however you say taht also>... i know you said you were pushing it a little under the list... yea... pushing it is a good way to say that lol!

i think RPing is a good addition to any game... it makes you feel more as if you were there for yourself... and as for the other stuff/flaws... they will be gone all in due time...

and the community is very helpful as others have stated...

EDIT: yea pre-alpha sounds too early on in developement...

[neko kyouran]

We need to throw a graduation party then!  Afterall, our little PS is become all grown up.  Congrats to PS making it to alpha!   

Seems just like yesterday, I was playing a game where all there was to do was collect shinies and talk it up in the plaza.  My, how it has grown.

[Andrek]

I love the game cause I started in MB but forgot my character's name in it when we converted to CB (I played for a few weeks and needed to quit for school).  Now I play as RL allows. 

You can hop in and find random players to help you... Shameless plug...  If you chose a Enkidukai seek out the Feline's Lair.  We are a fun lot *Thinks about how this may become a thread to promote other guilds and how cool it could be to see the dedication for the game*

It is worth the try if you like a graphical chat room!

[Josellis]

I was wondering, how much time did it take to get from 0.3 to 0.3.015? and how much time did it take to go from the very start to what it is now?

[neko kyouran]

I can answer the second question, memory isn't so good about the first though.

Technically, PS has its roots from the year 1992.  Don't take this for much though, but I think .3 started maybe about a year and a few months ago.

[Josellis]

wow, so it's an old game going VERY slowly!!! But I guess that "jadis" they had only very few people helping. Now I guess they have more people developing the game.

I also hope that within the next 2 years, the final version will come out, because it is getting well and truly in shape at this moment.

[neko kyouran]

Well for one, PS won't ever be "final".  It'll always be in ongoing construction.

Also, it started out as a 2d mud, and was considered complete.  I didn't go comercial do to some technical reason I don't recall why.  Anyways, it sat for a bit and I think around 2001 Talad and Company decided to bring new life to the project as a 3d mmo.  And thus the game as you know it started.  This is all detailed on the history page on the main site.  Sorry, I don't recall the link and I couldn't find it browsing the main site either. Then again, I couldn't ever find my way around that beast of a site to begin with.  Hope this helps.